Erik Hall's In Tall Buildings

February 19, 2010|By Andy Downing, Special to the Tribune

Erik Hall, who records and performs as In Tall Buildings, describes his musical philosophy using a pair of quotes as diametrically opposed as the north and south poles of a magnet: "First thought best thought" and "Edit yourself, mercilessly."

"They are absolutely conflicting, and yet absolutely true and crucial," says Hall, who attributes the statements to Iowa-born musician Arthur Russell (a posthumous collection of the artist's work was released under the title "First Thought Best Thought" on Audika Records in 2006) and author Kurt Vonnegut. "I know the first instinct is, ‘How the hell can both these things be true?' But somehow I'm trying to navigate these polar opposites."

Hall, who also plays guitar in the long-running jazz-rock sextet NOMO, began work on his solo effort, "In Tall Buildings" (Whistler), more than three years ago, completing the album's eight atmospheric tracks at a near-glacial pace. Indeed, when discussing his process, Hall sounds very much like a geology professor describing the creation of a stunning mineral formation. "It was very, very gradual and very, very delicate," he says. "I had no deadlines, so whenever the mood struck I would just go back, open up the Pro Tools session and add something. Then months later it would hit me: ‘Oh, it's done. It's a song.'"

The resulting tunes are dense and textured, veering from the jaunty "The Way to a Monster's Lair," colored by a swooning clarinet line from NOMO bandmate Elliot Bergman (the only other musician who appears on the recording), to the minimalist "Fleming," which unfolds over a hypnotic nine-plus minutes. Listening to the record, it's little surprise to hear Hall name-check a diverse array of influences, including Steve Reich, Neil Young, Maurice Ravel and Gillian Welch.

Born and raised in Chicago's Lincoln Park, Hall began playing guitar when he was just 9 years old, harboring aspirations to shred like Metallica's Kirk Hammett. In high school, inspired by Seattle-based acts like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, the guitarist formed his first band, Concord Lane, with friends that included current NOMO drummer Quin Kirchner. But even then, Hall says that desire to record a solo album bubbled just beneath the surface. "Making music of my own has always been my driving force," says Hall. "In some ways, (this record) dates back to eighth grade when I got my first cassette recorder. It's been a long time in the making ... and I'm really happy to finally be able to get it out to the world."

The Cougars

Local quintet the Cougars describes itself simply as "a rock band making rock music," a blue-collar sentiment that goes hand-in-hand with the boozy, bare-knuckle style the group displays on tracks like the brilliantly titled "We Blog the Hardest" (streaming free at myspace.com/cougars).

The crew, augmented on record by a scuzzy, two-piece brass section, might have found the perfect accompaniment to its sound with the Bottom Lounge's "Rock & Wrestling Supershow," a mash-up of live music and wrestling — yes, wrestling (the headlining match pits "Mr. Ego" Cody Hawk against Colt "Boom Boom" Cabana). And despite the excess of testosterone, it's unlikely any of the muscled combatants could equal the intensity Cougars' singer Matt Irie, whose larynx must be constructed of weathered boot leather, displays on the pummeling "Toxic Fox Syndrome."